


villainous kind of hero

by WishaDream



Series: Things I wrote in Middle/High school [1]
Category: Original Work
Genre: Angst, Cute, F/M, Fluff, Friendship, Humor, I'm sorry if this is terrible, Original Characters - Freeform, Original Story - Freeform, Romance, Short Story, Superheros, complete?, i have a folder full of these stories, teen angst not from the story probably but from me when i wrote it
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-06-19
Updated: 2020-06-19
Packaged: 2021-03-03 19:14:15
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 11,086
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24810646
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/WishaDream/pseuds/WishaDream
Summary: Petra goes to a school for heros. She has to decide whether or not she will be good or bad.
Relationships: Original Female Character/Original Male Character
Series: Things I wrote in Middle/High school [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1794586





	villainous kind of hero

**Author's Note:**

> Disclaimer: I don't even remember writing half of these but I remember enjoying writing them so I thought I'd share some of them in case someone got some joy out of reading them. I didn't really have the time to rewrite any of them, some I know I've gone over several times to make better, some I think are the first draft, but again, more for entertainment than anything. Hopefully you'll enjoy them (unsure grimace.)

Villainous kind of Hero

Prologue

Petra Andrusyak had never been like most children. At the age of three she had built herself a walker out of her playpen and her father's toolset. With it she built up her leg strength till she could walk on her own. After that she fashioned the walker into a floating table which followed her around carrying her favorite toys at the age of five. Her parents knew she was special and though they sent her to the best primary schools in the end she never last long in the advanced classes. In the end she was sent to a regular public school at the age of twelve. From then on her parents never saw her invent anything ever again.  
Though they never saw her Petra continued to fashion items from various things she found lying around. She made herself a universal garage opener which allowed her to open any garage so she could pilfer her neighbors homes. A signal crosser allowed her to make any 911 calls about her robberies be transferred to the local pizza shop.  
At a young age she had learned she was different than most children and when she learned that this wasn't always a good thing she decided to keep her vast intellect a secret. This allowed her to create without having adults tell her what she was doing was impossible or that it was morally wrong. In the privacy of her basement room she could invent whatever she wanted uncensored. As her intellect grew so did her projects growing from floating toy carriers to floating boards which would transport her and her stolen materials across town. When her projects got complicated so that stolen items from her neighbors garages wouldn't work anymore she built an army of toy robots to break into the local science center to get her the tools and chemicals she needed.  
Up until the age of fourteen she was unhindered in her robberies ranging from science equipment to unwarranted withdrawals from the local bank to buy illegal chemicals online. When she turned fifteen this all came to an end as the city got a hero who put an end to her shopping spree. Before then the robberies had all been to fund her research but as the hero got in her way her motives changed. By the first month of Petra's sixteenth year she had had enough of the hero and so her villain's persona was born. And with that the power struggle for the city of Pyrite began.

Chapter One

The city of Pyrite had originally been set up as a mining city but as the local minerals had all been used up the miner's had left. After that families had moved in, seeing the land as a good place to start families. From there the city grew to the flourishing metropolis in which Petra Andrusyak was born.  
Knowing all about the town's past mining community she had found records of the existence of a mine directly beneath her home. When Mercury, the hero who hindered her scientific efforts, appeared and the idea of becoming his nemesis first came to her she had already started building herself an underground lab. Fitting her normal bedroom onto a rotating platform she set it up so that when she needed to she could switch her room out with the science lab she had situated on another rotating platform. Her parents were none the wiser of these changes and sensors at the door to her basement room alerted her whenever her parents were in the proximity to make a visit to her room. On these occasions if the lab was exposed it would be sent back to its hiding place underground from which her false bedroom would rise. She has also expanded the walls of her room to allow for computer monitors of the city to be displayed. When her bedroom was above ground false walls were then propped up by her robots till the intruder had left. Then it was back to business.  
For her first day of business as a super villain Petra decided the first thing she needed to decide on was a villainous name.  
"How does Red X sound?"  
The robot on her desk whirred as it processed her words then replied with a simple, "Boop."  
"True. Wouldn't want to copy someone. What about Strike?"  
The mechanical device which she had fashioned from an old robotic action figure beeped in reply.  
"True. It is too simple."  
The young woman tapped her chin thoughtfully as she watched the monitors of the city. One was situated at her school which she attended, Pyrite High. The camera was pointed at the football team where the school's team, the Miner's, was practicing for the upcoming season. Out on the field she noticed one especially fleet footed boy. Since middle school they had gone to the same school and even before she'd ever talked with the boy she'd known she didn't like him. He was the usual jock type, overly confident, overly macho, and without an ounce of mass between his ears.  
Turning away from the screen she went back to thinking about her villain name. When she had decided she used her sewing machine she'd equipped with the capabilities of a 3D printer to put together her villainous costume. The whole thing was made of a breathable fabric which would give her easy movement while its padding would keep her safe from light injuries like punches and kicks. A chest plate attached to the front would protect her from anything harder. On the plate she painted a smeared read circle through which she brushed a crimson "X." And with that Blood X was born.

Petra yawned widely as she walked down the hallway of her school which was especially narrow that morning because of the inconsiderate bodies of her classmates. Groups of students crowded in front of their lockers excitedly talking about the new school year while couples pressed against each other acting as if they hadn't been able to breath till their lips were touching.  
She ignored it all as she made her way to her locker. An especially loud group of girls was standing near her locker as she stopped in front of it and began to turn the lock.  
"Looks like we're locker mates again," said a voice from behind her.  
Petra didn't have to look to know who had spoken. As their surnames were close to each other they had been paired up on more than one occasion over the years. When she turned she saw the familiar smile which always made her lower eyelid twitch with annoyance.  
Her voice was just an octave away from a growl as she greeted the teen, "Andrews."  
"Come on Petra, we've known each other long enough. Call me August."  
The look on his face told her he was eager to hear her say his name, a fact which she was not going to indulge. "No."  
His shoulders drooped as his expression became like that of a puppy as his lower lip took on a pout, "Come on. We practically grew up together. Just call me it once."  
Ignoring his pleading tone she turned back to her locker, inputting the locker's code for the second time as she spun it round. When she'd finally heard the click signaling it was open and was pulling it open a body ran into hers and she was pushed up against her locker.  
"Watch it August," quipped an arrogant voice as it and other voices joined in sounds of laughter.  
Petra's glare was threatening as she turned to gaze at the group of boys who were walking past. They didn't notice her as they continued to talk amongst themselves.  
"Why do you let them treat you that way?" Petra directed the question to the boy who was rubbing his injured arm.  
"They are just messing around. Rough housing is a part of being on the football team."  
"When are you going to grow up?" He didn't seem to understand her questioning so she explained, "You are never going to get their respect. To them you'll always be a freshman and more than that, no matter what you do you will always be second string."  
This last jab seemed to strike home as he turned away but not before she caught sight of the hurt expression on his face. Before she could call him on it he'd turned back, his cocky smile returned to his face as he told her he had to go. As he hurried away Petra felt her upper lip rise into a sneer--he wasn't going to get away that easily.

Petra and August had never been classified as friends. Enemy or rival didn't even begin to come close to the relationship they had. The only thing that was close was the word complicated, because that is what the thing between them was, complicated.  
Though they hadn't always gone to school together, Petra attending special private schools up until middle school, the two had always known of each other. Growing up in the same neighborhood had that kind of effect. Since children they had shared a backyard, only a rickety old fence separating their properties. Even with the fence there it had not stopped August from sneaking into Petra's yard in hopes of annoying her with his incessant talk of football and the latest Robo-Rangers episode. Her first robot had been crafted from a stolen Robo-Ranger figure, something he always claimed she had taken but had never been able to prove.  
When the two were further thrust together in middle school, a time in her life when her parents made her walk with the boy to the bus stop, Petra found herself despising the boy even more. His talk had become more cocky, talking of football as if he was already a professional player. Robo-Rangers was no longer his second go to topic, having been replaced by girls and the odd way they dressed and talked.  
"I don't know if I'll ever understand them."  
Petra had to agree not understanding their obsession with fashion and giggling over magazines featuring articles on various teen sensations. Though she did not understand her own sex as well she did not ever join the boy in his rambling observations on girls. Even as he talked, pausing at points to allow her to interject, the boy did not seem to need her there as he carried on a conversation all on his own. In high school he quieted some, saving his football talk for other football players and his talk on girls--which he understood even less now--for his group of friends.  
Even though he had people now who would actually respond to his quires the boy insisted on bothering Petra whenever he could.  
"So what's with the nail polish only on one finger," questioned August one day as he observed the way she painted black polish only on the middle finger of each hand.  
"It's so when I raise my hand like this," she raised her hand the back of her palm facing him, "The finger stands out so you see it first and don't notice the others."  
"Like a work around for using the middle finger."  
She continued to hold up her hand in that way till he caught on and left her alone for the rest of the class. Afterwards he was back at her side as she stood at her locker.  
"Have you seen the reports on this hero, Mercury? He sounds really cool."  
Petra did not respond as she decided it was best not to voice any opinion on the hero. Closing her locker, she turned to go, hearing his footsteps squeak as he followed after her.  
"Have you ever seen him? I think I saw him once flying across the sky. How do you think he does that?"  
Petra continued to remain silent hoping he would eventually catch on and leave her alone. But as always, he never did as he continued to talk with her all the way to class and up until the teacher entered the classroom. As the teacher talked Petra plotted her first appearance as the Blood X and the things she would finally do once Mercury was gone.

Chapter ??

The bank was quiet when Petra and her army of spider-bots entered. The darkness inside was only penetrated by the blinking lights of the security system. Using an infrared scanner Petra made sure that her spider's did not unknowingly activate the motion detectors, then once the spider's had knocked them all out she made her entrance using the loud explosion of a bomb to knock down the wall.  
As the dust settled from the explosion the sounds of a blaring alarm cut through the sound left by the explosion.  
"Oops," quipped Petra with a cocky smile as her army of robots skittered towards the bank's vault. As her robots used their lasers to cut through the thick metal of the door Petra purveyed her handy-work.  
"Stop there!" called a voice through the hole left by her explosion. Through the dark hole stepped a man dressed in a skin tight suit colored sky blue with sunglow yellow paneling along the sides of his chest and inner arms. On his head he wore a bicycle helmet with a far wrapped around visor made of mirrored glass. Through the glass Petra caught her reflection and used it to adjust the short garish red wig she'd used to cover her chestnut brown hair.  
"You must be Mercury," she replied through a synthesized voice modulator she'd made which caused her voice to sound like a Russian villain from her childhood cartoons.  
"I am he," replied the hero as he thrust out his chest proudly. "And you are?"  
"You can call me Blood X. I am the answer to your tyranny."  
"My tyranny?" the man sounded confused as he pointed to his protruding chest which had sunken slightly, "But I'm the hero."  
"Depends on who you ask. To some you are a villain and I plan to end your reign."  
Though she'd thrown him off for a moment the mention of ending him re-bolstered the hero as his chest re-inflated. "You think so? I guess I'll just have to end your reign before it can begin."  
Before he could make true on the threat Blood X sicked her army of mechanical spiders on the hero. From what she'd observed of the hero's powers she knew he could run on the air, being extra fleet footed so that even the air responded to his feet. On one occasion she'd seen him take out a gang of robbers with a cyclone stirred up by a series of quick kicks. Not wanting this to happen today she'd outfitted her spiders with a series of metal wired web slingers which they used now as they started to tie up the hero.  
"I don't want to sound cocky, but it looks like I'm winning."  
Mercury did not look like he objected to her observation as he struggled against the tight webbing of the spiders. Even as he struggled it tightened so that he pitched forward, falling flat on his face. "Ow."  
"Surrender now and I'll let you go with the promise of never returning to this city again."  
His face was still pressed to the floor as it muffled his reply. She stepped in front of him, bending to lift his head as she asked, "What?"  
"Never."  
The arrogance in his voice made her lower eyelid twitch underneath her mask. "You will surrender and you will leave!" her impatience was apparent as she shoved his head back down against the floor. "Double ow."  
Blood X rose to her feet as she glowered down at him. "Get rid of him."  
Her spiders were ready to oblige when the hero suddenly flipped over onto his back then as she watched him he started to twirl around on the floor from back to front and back again. As he spun the spiders let out distressed beeps as their webbing was further twisted around the hero till they were pulled in, smashing against him where they exploded in bursts of wiring and metal.  
Too stunned to react all Blood X could do was watch as her entire webbed army was taken out by the hero's deadly spin. When he'd pulled in the last of the spiders he spun the other way, loosening the webbing as he was finally able to leap up to his feet untied.  
"I guess its my turn."  
His hand grabbed her arm, finally breaking her from her stunned state as she pulled against him. "Let me go, you freak!"  
"Sorry, it is my duty as a hero to take you in."  
His grip was tight and no matter how hard she struggled she was unable to get away. Finally as a last resort she jammed the metal plating of her knee high boots up between his leg. The action had the desired effect as he released her arm to grab himself as he fell to his knees. As the hero rolled around on the ground she made her escape, leaving the half destroyed bank behind as she made her way home.  
"I don't get it Bobby," Petra lamented to her main bot as she changed out of her costume in the safety of her room, "I planned everything. He'd never used that move before. And where is he getting these abilities. I know he's no where near as smart as me so he couldn't have invented the suit."  
The robot chirped in reply.  
"You're right, I was silly to think I could defeat him the first try. Even with all my experience this is my first time acting as a super villain. I'm not going to get him on the first go. I have to study him more--learn his weaknesses and then exploit them."  
The former action figure turned bot raised his tiger bot fist up towards her. Taking it she smiled as she lightly shook it. "Alright Bobby, let's get to work."

Chapter ??

"Whatcha drawing?"  
The question broke Petra out of her creative zone as she looked up from her sketch of a giant mecha at the smiling face of August. As she glared at him she slid the paper out of view, hiding it under a book as she told him, "Mind your own business."  
"Sorry, you just looked really intent on what you were doing. I was curious."  
"Find something else to query on."  
The football player sat down in the desk in front of her, sitting on it backwards so that he was facing her. "So what did you do yesterday?"  
"Why, are you working for the police now?"  
He laughed. "No. I was just curious. I had football practice and after I went home to play my favorite video game."  
"Let me guess, the latest football simulation."  
"How did you know?"  
She wanted to say "because you're predictable" but was too tired of the conversation to continue it. Instead she opened the book she'd placed over the drawing and began to read it."  
"What's that about?"  
She raised the cover up in answer.  
"Molecular Biology, that's some advanced stuff, right? What're you studying that for?"  
She turned the page of the book, ignoring his voice as she'd learned to do years ago. Though he continued to talk she was already lost in the scientific words and the prospects they could bring her in her new career as mega-villain. 

On her way home after school Petra made a point to pass the football field. As the team practiced she observed the boys from earlier picking on August as he laughed off their jabs.  
"How can he act like everything is okay?"  
Deciding it didn't concern her she continued home where she used her new knowledge of biology to splice together the common cold with the flu to make a mega virus--Flu-choo.  
"If I can't defeat him I can at least knock him out for a few days. Then I can steal all I need to last me for a year and in that time I'll be able to create the thing I'll need to defeat him completely."  
When night hit she equipped a sneezing robot with the virus then headed out to rob a jewelry store. Jewels weren't really something she needed for her work but she figured if she could escape with a few diamonds the fake robbery wouldn't be a complete waste.  
As the alarm blared she didn't have to wait long before she heard that cocky voice as her what she was doing.  
"What does it look like I'm doing?"  
"I was hoping you would have learned your lesson from last time," replied the hero with his hands on his hips in a typical hero's pose. With his stance Petra noticed his suit had an addition of a cup.  
She pointed it out as she said, "That's new."  
Mercury reacted strangely, almost embarrassed as he covered the area with his hands. "Don't try that again."  
"I wouldn't dream of it."  
As they talked Petra's sneezing bot snuck closer to the hero, waiting till it was just within distance to dispense its contents on the man.  
"I try not to repeat the same tricks more than once."  
The sneeze-bot was on a shelf right next to the hero's face. One expulsion of liquid would be enough to make the hero bedridden for a few days.  
"That's good," replied the hero.  
The bot was opening its mouth as it readied to sneeze, then before it did it took in an intake of breath, making the typical pre-sneeze sound which alerted the hero to his presence. Just as the bot sneezed Mercury spun his body around so that the wind from his turn knocked the sneeze away and straight towards Petra who felt the liquid splash against her exposed lips. Even as she wiped away the virus she could feel its effects taking hold as her eyes watered and her nose swelled with mucous.  
"I hate you," growled Petra through a stuffed nose as she grabbed onto her floating board which sped her retreat as she headed home.  
"You had to include the sneezing audio," grumbled Petra as she flopped down onto her bed.  
Bobby the bot beeped in response as he waddled over to her.  
"I give you one task before I leave for school and you have to include the audio. I would have had him if not for--achoo." She groaned as she rolled onto her back. "I need a tissue. NOW!"  
The sounds of her bots scurrying through her room looking for the asked for item could be heard as their master broke into a fit of coughs mixed with sneezing.

Chapter ??

Petra was bed ridden the next day, her nose so filled with mucous she could only produce a whistle when she tried to use it to breath. Her whole body ached and her head pounded with the swelling sinuses.  
"I wish I'd never made this thing," groaned the girl as she curled her body into a ball only to shift to a spread out position on her bed as she found no matter how she lay she could not get comfortable.  
"Are you sure you are going to be okay?" asked her mother that morning before leaving for work.  
Petra had assured her she'd be fine and once she had the house to herself she had her bots prepare her a kettle of chicken soup and acquire a pallet of tissue boxes. From her bed she watched reruns of super hero cartoons, having Bobby take notes on the villains as she found herself falling asleep throughout most of the episodes.  
In the middle of a dream about shooting Mercury out of a cannon she was awoken by the sound of her proximity alarms going off. As she rolled over to stare at the clock her robots frantically zoomed around the room hiding bits of experiments as she put up the fake walls in front of her monitors.  
"Mom shouldn't be home for four hours," observed Petra as the clock flashed the time of three forty-five. Just before the robots completely covered the monitors with the fake walls she caught a sight of the outside camera where August was ringing the doorbell to her home. "I should just ignore him."  
But as the upstairs bell continued to ring she finally wrapped a robe around herself and padded up the stairs. Her voice was muffled by phlegm but snappish as she opened the door and greeted him with a, "What are you doing here?"  
His hand was positioned on the bell which was still chiming and he looked stunned as he stared at his disheveled state. Quickly he pulled his hand back to himself as he shoved it in his pocket before replying, "I heard you were sick so I thought I'd come check on you."  
"You really think someone who is sick wants company?"  
His smile was sheepish. "I guess I didn't think of that. Sorry, do you want me to go?"  
She was about to tell him yes but a sudden bout of spinning sent her reeling as she felt two arms grab her and help her to the nearest seat. When her vision had cleared the annoying teen was gazing at her in worry as he asked her if there was anything she needed.  
"For you to lead," she tried to say but again nausea gripped her and when the blackness clouding her vision went away again he was pressing a cool cloth to her head and holding out a large glass of water.  
"You need to drink plenty of fluids with a cold."  
"This isn't a cold." Her answer was snappish but she took the offered water anyway, taking a deep gulp of it then another as the coldness of the water helped to cool her overheated insides.  
"Do you want anything else?"  
As she finished off the water exhaustion gripped her and before she could answer her eyes had closed and she was off to the darkness of slumber. In her dream a giant robot carried her through the city, laying waste to the large structures as it carried her to an unknown destination. When she finally awoke she found herself back in her bedroom lying on her bedcovers which looked to have been recently remade after she'd crumpled them in her previous thrashing.  
Just as she started to drift off again she heard a sound to her side and turned towards it.  
"Is this the bot you stole from me all those years ago." August was inspecting Bobby as he touched her things without asking. "I can't believe you still have it."  
"Put him down," ordered Petra, her voice rough from coughing fits. "He's not yours."  
"Yes he is," he proved it by indicating the area on the bottom of the robots foot which was initialed with a faded "A.A."  
"I got it in a garage sale from some other kid with the initials A.A."  
August didn't look convinced, "What was their name?"  
"Agnus Addams or something. How should I know, it was a garage sale?"  
He set the bot down, coming over to her side where the bed creaked as he took a seat on the mattress. "Are you feeling any better?" His hand reached for her head and if not for the soreness in her muscles she would have pulled away. The skin of his hand was cool against her burning flesh as he pressed it against her forehead. "You still feel hot. Should I call the doctor?"  
"No, I'm fine." With a renewed strength she pushed his hand away. "You can go."  
"I don't think so. Not until your mom is back at least. "  
If not for the pounding in her head she would have objected. Curse you Mercury and curse that sneezing robot. "I'll be fine. I can take care of myself."  
"I'm sure you can," he looked towards the large pot of chicken soup which was cold by now. "But just to be sure...."  
"Don't you have football practice today. You can't really pay to miss any else you'll lose your second string position. And we wouldn't want that."  
Her voice was biting, more than she'd intended and for a moment she though she saw pain in his eyes. But as soon as she'd seen the expression it was gone.  
"You're right." The bed creaked in protest as he rose. "I should get going. I hope you getting feeling better soon."  
And with that he was gone. As the robots pulled down the walls Bobby, with the help of a better made bot, climbed up onto the bed where he beeped at her till she looked at him. If he had an expression it would have been accusatory as he stared at her.  
"Don't start with me," warned Petra. "I keep you around for sentimental reasons but if I lose that feeling you're out."  
Bobby didn't look worried but didn't say anything more as Petra fell into a restless sleep. Stupid Andrews.

Though Petra tried to make a cure for the Flu-Choo in the end she just had to let it run her course as she ended up spending five days in bed. Her first day back at school no one greeted her, none having noticed her absence. At her locker she did not hear the usual greeting from her absent locker mate. Before she could worry whether she'd finally gone too far in her snappish remarks he arrived, greeting her with a wide smile as he said, "Welcome back. You feeling better?"  
"You wouldn't be back if I didn't."  
His laugh was hearty, more true sounding than his laughter with his football "friends." "I'm glad you're back."  
"You must be happy," interrupted an arrogant voice. The two turned to see the muscular boy who was always verbally abusing her locker mate. "You know, since your girlfriend is finally back."  
"We're not a couple," snapped Petra.  
"Sure you are. You should have seen how down in the dumps August was while you were gone."  
August looked genuinely distressed as he told the older boy, "Come on Jace, cut it out."  
Jace just laughed in reply as he pulled the younger boy into a head lock and began to harshly rub the fist of his hand into the boy's head. "You talking back to me Andrews?"  
Petra didn't know why she did it, later she would say it was because she was still loopy from the fever, but before she could stop herself she had kicked the older boy between his legs causing him to drop August and hold himself.  
"You keep your crazy girlfriend away from me," ordered Jace as his group of friends helped him away from them.  
August looked stunned as he looked back to her. "Why did you do that?"  
As she didn't know herself she replied by walking away. "I should have stayed away longer."

Chapter ??

During lunch Petra left the lunchroom and headed outside where the air was cooler. On a bench overlooking the football field she set up her laptop and lunch. For a time she was lost in thought till the sound of grunting brought her mind from her studies.  
Below her a boy clad in football gear was running the field, tossing balls to no one as he play acted as if he was in the middle of a game.  
"What a weirdo."  
She started to go back to work when she recalled the jersey number of the practicing player, eighty, the same number she'd seen August wear. As she walked down to the field the sounds of the players grunting became more distinct and familiar. Finally as she reached the field she was able to make the face of the boy through his face mask.  
"What do you think you are doing, Andrews?"  
Caught off guard by her calling of his name let the ball he'd been about to throw slip from his hands as he turned to face her. "Petra."  
"Yes, that's my name. Why are you out here throwing during lunch?"  
Playing off his missed throw he grabbed another ball and coolly threw it across the field. "Just practicing."  
"Why? No matter what you do you'll never become first string quarterback."  
Even though his face was covered his body language showed the impact her words had made as the ball flew away from his hand while flipping end over end.  
Though she'd originally meant it as a jab the first time she'd ever said it, hoping to deflate his usually over-inflated ego, now she meant it in a different capacity.  
"Jace is not going to graduate this year and since he's the best they will make him quarterback. No matter how hard you work they aren't going to let you play first. You should just give up this quarterback thing."  
August tossed a ball into the air and watched it fly across the field before answering, "Did you give up on that science thing?" Petra was silent as he continued, "It's always been my dream to throw the winning catch of a game and as long as I can I'm going to work to see that dream come true."  
"Why don't you just get a new dream? A more realistic dream."  
"You can't decide your dreams--that's what makes them dreams. They are a part of you. like your nose."  
"People can change their noses."  
The next ball hit the ground making a dent. "I don't want to change my dream, okay?" he sounded incensed as he started walking through the field, picking up the thrown footballs as the lunch period came to a close. "I'm not giving up. No matter what."  
Petra watched him collect the last of the footballs then head back to the school. Alone on the field the boy's words rang through her mind. Once upon a time she had also had a dream to become the most influential scientist of all time but as adults had told her she was too young or that the things she dreamed were impossible her dream had slowly faded away. Somewhere along the way she'd lost hope of ever reaching her goal and now as she watched August she was reminded of that.  
"I really should have stayed home another day."

Chapter ??

Two days later when Petra was completely sure she was recovered she headed out with a freshly built army of digger bots. With their help she planned to break into the science lab using the sewers and the bots ability to dig to access the labs from below. As the alarms of the lab blared Petra let the sound wash over her as her minions gathered up her sought after items.  
"Do you do this on purpose?" queried the blue hero as he appeared from a side door. "You turn off the silent alarm just fine, so why not the non-silent one."  
"Because I know you can hear it," replied Petra. In answer to his questioning look the ground beneath him broke open as her mole-bots dug a hole beneath him.  
Beneath her Petra could hear the hero grunt as he splashed down into the sewers waters.  
"Please don't tell me this is what I think it is," she heard the hero say in a close to throwing up voice.  
"Let's get out of here," ordered Petra of the bots as the hovering boards she had brought floated out through the windows of the lab out into the night air. Just as she was about to leave with her bots Mercury leapt up through the hole and landed in front of her path of escape.  
"I'm not done."  
"You sure smell like it," Petra held her nose as she made a disgusted expression.  
The hero looked disgusted himself as he shuddered. "Do you know how hard it is to get a suit like this cleaned?"  
"What, you don't just have another one lying around at home? Your mom not make you two?"  
"No. And my mom didn't make it."  
"Oh sorry, I guess I was confusing you with another super-hero." The actual smell from the hero was beginning to reach her causing her eyes to sting. "Okay, seriously, can we take this outside?"  
Mercury obliged and the two exited the lab through the window her bots had just escaped through. Seeming to have forgotten all about her escaping bots and their stolen loot, the hero focused all his attention on Petra as the two started to fight. Having studied Mercury's fighting techniques from surveillance footage she'd programmed her suit to read his body language and respond accordingly. With each kick she blocked and responded with her own leg sweep. As the battle found them both equally matched Mercury started to pull out some moves she had not seen before. With one such move he grabbed a hold of her glove, pulling it off as the momentum from his attack sent him reeling back. As he landed on the ground his gaze fell up to her ungloved hand, his expression showing surprise as he stared at her exposed fingers.  
"What, have you never seen a woman's hand before?"  
He did not respond as he turned and flitted away, taking her glove with him.  
"Hey, give that back!"  
But like a fleet footed deer he was gone and without her floating boards she had no way of catching him. With a disgruntled sigh she turned towards home. "Now I have to make another glove."

"As a reminder, the mayor will be coming to visit our school tomorrow," the announcement came through the speakers of the school sounding cheerier than Petra thought the message warranted.  
Across from her seat August did not look like he'd heard the message at all as he stared off as if in a daze. Ever since that morning he had been like that, not even noticing her as he'd run into her at their lockers. His usual greeting had been a mumbled, "sorry" as he'd walked away, lost in thoughts she'd never thought him capable of.  
At lunch she observed Jace being especially rough with the boy who did not bat an eye. Even after school when she passed the football field on her way home he did not seem fully aware of his surroundings as he let a ball hit him in the face so that it caught in the visor of his helmet. For a moment he even ran around the field with the ball stuck in his visor till a group of boys tackled him to the ground.  
"What a weirdo."  
At home Petra readied a team of bots for that night's attack but when she went out the police were the only ones to respond to her break in, even after the alarm had been blaring for twenty minutes. "Where is he?"  
Once she'd escaped from the police and returned home her annoyance was high as she threw her costume at the walls in annoyance. "Where was he? What kind of hero doesn't show up to their arch-nemesis' heist?"  
With Bobby's help she observed her security feeds for the day but by the time the sun came up she did not catch sight of the hero at all. It seemed for the first day since his appearance he had not gone out on patrol.  
"What is wrong with him?!"

Chapter ??

The school was assembled for the mayor's speech an hour after the first class of the day began. Though Petra thought it was a waste of time she was forced to follow her classmates into the auditorium where the man was giving his speech. As the older gentleman stepped up to the podium those around her clapped politely as he thanked the crowd for inviting him.  
"I didn't invite you."  
She wasn't listening as the man droned on about different things. It wasn't till the girl in front of her screamed that Petra finally looked up from the book she had been reading. Up on the stage the mayor being held at gunpoint by two masked men as a team of twenty more masked me directed the students and teachers to remain seated.  
"We are taking over," called one of the masked men, " Our business is with the mayor so just stay where you are and nobody has to get hurt."  
As the girls in front of her started to cry in a panic Petra went back to reading till a voice whispered, "Are you really going to just sit there?"  
The voice sounded accusatory and she was surprised as she turned to the voice to find August staring at her. As they were seated towards the back the masked men hadn't reached their aisle yet as August leaned towards her from his seat two rows down, "Don't you have something you can use?"  
"What are you talking about? They said stay where we are--why should I try something. And what would I try?"  
His expression was thoughtful for a moment then he started to talk but was cut off as the guards finally reached them, "Hey, no talking. Just stay in your seats and be quiet." Once the man was done ordering silence he walked to the door of the auditorium which he then proceeded to lock shut with a plastic pull tie.  
As she looked back from the man with the gun she found August still looking at her. Another gruff order from the man made him turn back to the front but the boy's stare was seared in Petra's mind. Around her everyone looked frightened as boys and girls both held each other as they did their best to cry silently into their seat mates.  
Though she called herself a villain she knew she was not really one, she would never hurt anyone but by the sound in the men's voices and the way they held their guns she knew they weren't not like her. It was apparent they would have no problem hurting or even killing some of their hostages.  
When she was sure no one was looking Petra leaned forward in her seat as if to tie her shoe. Once she was out of sight she pressed the distress beacon she had installed in her watch, alerting Bobby to send help. Then with another press of a button she Morse coded a message about what trouble she was in and what she would need. When she was done with this she sat back up, finding August watching her again with a look that said, "Did you do it?"  
In response she raised her book up to block his view and started reading.

Chapter ??

August would have never called himself brave. Even as a child he'd spent most of his night's till he was ten bunking with his parents because of a creepy shadow or a scary sound. Finally his father had had enough and had bought him a Robo-Ranger bot from his favorite show.  
"He's going to keep you safe," his father had told him, "just like he does in the show."  
As August had believed everything his father told him at that age he believed his father then and was finally able to sleep in his own bed from then on. Around that same time he met a strange girl through his old fence who reminded him of a ghost with her pale skin and hollow expression. At first her look at frightened him but as he realized she was just a child like him he soon began to talk with her everyday, finding her especially easy to talk to about different things as she just sat and listened.  
"Hey Petra," he started one day after an hour conversation about Robo-Rangers, "Do you think I could become a professional football player?"  
Even now the girl did not have the most tact and then she'd had even less as she told him, "No, never. You're too scrawny and you've got the worst foot work I've ever seen. I don't even know how you can walk properly--you're like a newborn calf. Worse even."  
Her response had made him cry but he had not let it put him down. After that he had his father work with him every day after school to improve his footwork and throwing. But even though he'd tried his hardest he worked every day his skills didn't improve.  
He hadn't talked to Petra for a year since she'd stolen his Robo-Ranger figure, something she never admitted to, but his first year of middle school she showed up through the gate separating their yards.  
"If you insist on trying out for football then you should drink this." She held out a glass to him filled with a strange blue glowing liquid.  
"What is it?"  
"It's a special potion which will help you be more fleet footed."  
"What's that mean?"  
Her eyes rolled as she replied, "It will make your feet less clumsy."  
"Really?"  
She nodded.  
"Wait, why are you giving this to me?"  
"If you don't want it..." She turned to go, stopping as he called for her to wait.  
"I do want it."  
She held it out to him. "Then drink it."  
Taking it from her he stared at the liquid for a moment then tossed his head back as he downed it in one gulp. As soon as he had he felt it swirl through his body like twirling of wind. Down it raced through his body where it stopped in his feet, spinning like an energetic summer breeze. As he took a step forward his feet felt lighter as if he was walking on air. With the feeling tingling through him he performed the footwork his father had taught him, finding his feet responding as fast as he wanted them, not tripping him as they usually had.  
"It worked. It worked. Thank you, Petra." But when he turned to the girl he found her to be gone. After that when he tried to talk to her about it she acted as if she didn't know what he was talking about. Though she wouldn't admit to it August never forgot about the glowing blue liquid and the way she'd offered it to him without asking for anything in return. From then on he saw her as something other than the girl through the fence who had a great way of listening.

It wasn't till August was in high school and his body began to change that the tingling in his feet changed as well. First it came in the feeling of a quicker swirling of winds then it grew so that even his legs began to tingle. It was during his freshmen year of high school that he learned what the changed feeling meant.  
He had been practicing on the football field at school, practicing his throwing when he'd had the sudden urge to race after his thrown ball. Even as he released the ball he began to run forward, not thinking for a moment that he'd ever catch the ball but raised his hands anyway. The feel of the ball landing in his hands did not register at first and when he brought the ball down to stare at it he could not believe it at first.  
"I must have not thrown it that far."  
Using all his strength he threw the ball as far as he could then ran forward after it. This time he found himself outrunning the ball, having to slide to a stop as he ran back. The ball was still swirling through the air as he caught it mid-air, this time finding his feet to positioned in the sky as the wind held him up. With the ability to run on the wind and kick up cyclones with his feet August' persona as a football player was added to with the title of hero under the guise of Mercury.  
With his new skills he'd taken down robbers, saved cats from trees and helped stranded drivers get home in time for dinner. For a time the praise of a hero had bolstered him through his days on the bench at football games but then a new darkness arrived in the form of a femme fatale named Blood X. She had been the bane to his super hero life like the bench was to his football life. And then tragedy had struck closer to home when he'd got in a fight with her one day where he'd removed her glove to reveal the familiar single nail polished hand. The signature style of his closest friend and confidant Petra. His heart was broken and for a time he'd thought his life was a lie. He was not the super star quarterback he claimed to be, nor the invincible hero he tried to appear, and now his friend turned out to be his most cursed rival.  
Even when the masked men arrived to take the entire school hostage along with the mayor August did not feel he could drop any lower. Behind him Petra was just reading, a fact he could not believe as he hinted for her to do something as her alter ego. Either she did not know what he did or she was playing dumb, thinking her as a villain would do nothing to stop this, he wasn't sure. All he knew was that as it was now he had nothing to lose. With that decided August began to work out how he as Mercury would save stop the gun men. After all, even if he wasn't a very good one, he was still a hero and as one he had a job to do. If Blood X wouldn't help, August Andrews would.

Chapter ??

A half hour later the alarm on Petra's watch flashed signaling the robots had arrived. As the watch brought her attention from her book she found her eyes wandering over to August who was turned away from her. By the way he sat she could tell he was tense and when Jace who was sitting beside him touched the boy both she and the bully were surprised by the boy's snappish response.  
"Something's going on with him," thought Petra but as she had other things to worry about she dismissed the thought. On her communicator she tapped out a message to Bobby to surround the building, covering every exit, and send a higher concentration of bots into the school to surround the auditorium. When Bobby had the bots in place Petra pressed the third button her watch which cast a hologram over her person, giving her the look that she was wearing her Blood X outfit.  
"Sorry boys, but I'm taking over from here."  
The sound of her voice made all the gun men turn to her as they trained their weapons on her.  
"Who are you and how did you get in here?" asked the lead gun man.  
"Well that's offensive," replied Petra incredulously, "You haven't heard of me? How rude can you be. I'm Blood X, Pyrite Cities most terrible villain."  
"I've never heard of you," replied Jace sarcastically.  
"Me neither," voiced other students.  
"Quiet!" snapped the head gun man. "This is a hostage situation. We're not afraid to shoot anyone, especially you--," he pointed his gun at Petra. Before he could do or say anything more a sudden movement in the seats cried voices to cry out as a wind raised towards the man, knocking him back. The gun men's companions moved their guns from Petra towards the stage where their leader was lying on the ground with his attacker hovering over him. With the newest distraction Petra signaled her bots to attack. Above them the ceiling broke apart as students cried out, running from the falling debris and bots.  
"Get back in your seats!" ordered one gun man as he aimed at a group of running girls. Before he could fire a group of five spider bots tied him up.  
Across the auditorium a group of mole-bots had trapped two gun men in the floorboards of the school while more spider bots tangled up their companions.  
"Get the students out of here," Petra ordered Bobby as he floated down to her from above on top of one of her platforms.  
On the stage the mayor was being untied by one of her bots as the lead gun men continued to be pin downed by his attacker. For the first time Petra took the time to look at the attacker, her eyes widening as she saw the school's football jersey with the number eighty printed on the back.  
"Andrews?"  
Through the chaos she casually stepped while making her way to the stage. Over a gun men struggling with the spider webbing, past a group of panicked students making their way to the freshly opened doors, and up the stairs leading to the platform.  
August was staring at the man who was pinned beneath him, not moving his gaze as Petra stepped up beside him. "You sure are quick for a football player."  
He didn't respond, knocking the man out with a fist as he started to respond. Once the man was out August rose to his feet, looking towards Petra with an intense gaze as he said, "I know who you are."  
The declaration surprised her at first but then she played it off as she replied, "And I you."  
"Why? Why are you doing this?"  
"Since you know me you should know." As the mayor walked past she grabbed his arm, stopping him as she said, "And you'll know why I do this."  
Bobby was beside her on his floating platform in the next instant and she was away with the mayor before August could react. Through a hole in the auditorium ceiling the villainess and her hostage floated away. Below she heard a crash and looked down to see August rushing up towards her.  
"You are not getting away this time!" called the boy as the wind held him aloft as he raised towards her.  
"Faster!" ordered Petra as she crouched down as the board obliged.  
Under her the mayor cried out as the board surged forward. But even though the board had sped up the boy caught up as he ran into the board, careening it off course as Petra lost her hold of the mayor so that he went flying away. While August raced off to catch the man Petra ordered her board full speed ahead.  
"I need to get home."  
In the safety of her lab Petra searched through her chemical notes, tossing ingredients together as she raced against time. A short time later the proximity alarms of her room went off and then increased in pitch as the ceiling of her room burst open as August fell through.  
"Do you love the sounds of alarms or something?" growled the boy as he tossed a chunk of ceiling at the alarm computer making it screech before shutting down.  
Petra was still pouring chemicals as he grabbed her shoulder, turning her toward him as he growled, "Why are you doing this? Why--this?" he motioned to her still projected Bloody X suit.  
Reaching down to her watch she turned off the projection before replying, "It just made sense."  
"How's that?"  
"I never got what I wanted when I asked for it. The only time I got things was when I took them. Like when I took him." She pointed to Bobby, "My parents would never by me a Robo-Ranger figure because they said the show was violent. It wasn't till I took yours that I finally had one."  
Instead of calling her out on finally admitting she'd taken it August's expression was hurt as he asked, "Why didn't you tell me that? I would have given him to you."  
Now she was confused as she asked, "Why?"  
"Because you are my friend."  
She pulled away from him. "No we're not. Why would you ever think that?"  
"You always listen to me--"  
"Because you won't shut up."  
"--you're always talking sense into me when I'm overwhelmed about me not being good enough for first string--."  
"You're not."  
"--and when I needed help with getting on the little league team in middle school you gave me that potion."  
"I don't know what you--."  
It was his turn to interrupt as he gripped her shoulders again. "We both know why you gave it to me. You wouldn't have done it if we weren't friends. Why won't you admit it?"  
Petra knew she was being unreasonable stubborn but couldn't fight her habit as she snapped, "Because I don't have friends."  
"But you do. You have me."  
Before she could react he'd pulled her into a hug. Between them she felt the glass she'd been holding crack as the contents spilled. August refused to let her go even as the liquid soaked into their skin, a glowing coming from the liquid and the area of their flesh it had touched as Petra felt it spread through her.  
"What is this?" asked the boy as he finally stepped away, touching the wet spot on his shirt.  
"It was supposed to be a cure."  
"A cure for what?"  
"The potion I gave you years ago. That's how you have your abilities now, isn't it? I created my own arch-nemesis." Her tone signaled her distress at the thought as she hit her head with the palm of her hand. "I can't believe it."  
In front of her August was still looking at the liquid on his chest till he began to sway back and forth. As his eyes raised to look at her they continued past hers, rolling into the back of his head as he fell forward her into her arms.  
"Agh, Bobby, help me."  
With the help of the floating board Petra moved the boy to her bed.  
"Get me the heart monitor."  
After she'd hooked him up Petra checked his vitals, making sure her newest potion hadn't killed the boy or turned him into some kind of lizard man. When she was sure everything was normal she lifted his eyelid shining a light into it as she called to him, "Andrews. Andrews wake up. You are not going to lie on my bed all day, get up."  
She cast a look to the monitors as she rechecked his vitals. "I don't understand, why is he reacting this way? They touched me too but I feel fine."  
As August's heart continued to beep through the monitor she gathered up a shard of glass containing the liquid as she hurried it over to her spectrometer. Having sped up its result capabilities she had only to wait three seconds before the contents of the glowing green chemical came out. From there she ran the data into her computer to compute what the results of the chemical mixture could possibly be. As the answer came onto the screen her worried expression became a frown.  
"Green apple flavoring? That is all it was." She looked back at the shelf of chemicals she'd been mixing before. "Bobby, did you move my chemicals again?"  
The robot performed an innocent beep she knew as a lie. "How many times do I have to tell you to not move my things?!"  
In anger she came over to slam her fists down on the boy's chest. "Wake up Andrews, I know you are faking. That's just green apple flavoring."  
As the boy didn't respond the robot clicked beside her. "What do you mean "What if that's his weakness?" Green apple flavoring is not his weakness."  
Beneath her hands August's heart continued to beat but no matter how hard she shook him or how many times she flicked his nose he would not respond. "Do you...do you really think I've defeated him? I put him into a coma with a candy flavor."  
Determined to not let that be the cause of her defeating her nemesis, Petra grabbed her chemical solution of solvent and poured it on the boys chest. "This should wash away any remnants of the apple gunk." As the solution washed over the boy's skin, soaking into his skin she looked towards the monitors which did not change their slow and steady beeping. Even as she waited no signs of change brought any hope to her that he would open his eyes.  
"Why isn't this working?  
Bobby replied with a sympathetic tweet as he shuffled across the bed to rest a rhinoceros bot arm on her knee. As the full weight of what she'd done fell on her Petra felt her eyes sting with tears. The face of the boy was cold as she placed her hand on it, her hand shaking as she caressed his cheek.  
"Andrews, wake up."  
Her voice broke as she fell forward onto his chest. "Please August, I'm so sorry. Don't leave me."  
A cough racked the chest then, making Petra sit up as his eyes opened and a grin broke out on his face. "Did I just hear you say "please" and "sorry?"  
Though she would have usually felt annoyed instead she felt relief as she wrapped her arms around him. "Don't ever do that again."  
He wrapped his own arms around her as he whispered, "Never again."  
Together they held each other as the sounds of police sirens wailed past, heading towards the school where the bots were finishing their work of securing the gun men and ensuring all hostages got away safely. Back in the basement August released his hug of Petra as he continued to hold her close, using his hand to lift her chin so that her eyes were looking into his.  
"I know you've just recently accepted me as a friend but I'm going to take a page from your play book and take something I want."  
"And what is that?"  
In response he pulled her towards him again as he pressed his lips into hers. Beside the pair Bobby beeped excitedly till Petra pushed him off where he fell onto a pile of pillows, muffling the sound as he continued to cheer.  
"Do you think you'll stop being Blood X now?"  
"No. You'll have to take me down first."  
August pushed her back, placing himself on top of her as he asked, "Like this?"  
She pulled his face down to hers as she kissed him. "It's a start."

Epilogue

"Hey August, could you carry these for me?" asked Jace as he dropped the pile of books into the teen's arm without a response.  
"No," replied August as he handed the books back to the astonished jock.  
"Uh, what? Excuse me, do you know who I am?"  
"Yeah," responded a voice behind him. The older teen turned to see the dark lined eyes of the resident goth as she walked over to the side of the second string quarter back, placing her arm around him before replying, "Your the guy that's going to be second string to my boyfriend."  
Jace and his friend's mouth were agape as they walked the two teens walk away together.  
"Since when are they a couple?"  
"Who cares," replied another boy, "What I want to know is who was that guy who tackled the gun men three days ago. He was wearing one our jerseys but I didn't see the number."  
Jace was still stunned by the response of his punching bag as his friends started walking away. "Do you think he's someone on our team?"  
"I sure hope so--maybe he'll use his abilities to help us out this year, I really want to make it to state."  
Ahead of the group August was smiling as he placed his arm around Petra's shoulder. "Do you really think I can make first string this year?"  
"If you use your powers yes."  
"I can't, that would be wrong."  
"So?"  
"Petra, I'm not a villain like you. Heroes don't use their abilities to help them in sports."  
"And why not?"  
"Because its not fair."  
"It's not fair when athletes use enhancement drugs or when a person is just naturally gifted--you are both so use it."  
August held her closer as he rested his head on top of hers. "I don't know."  
"You already took one thing you wanted," she smiled as she planted a kiss on his cheek making him smile, "Don't stop now."  
"Do you really think its alright for me as a hero to be dating my villain and to use my abilities to get first string?"  
Petra rolled her eyes with an exasperated sigh, "You already know the answer to that."  
"Would you stop dating me if I didn't?"  
She stopped to roughly slam him back against a locker. "I will if you don't develop a spine and decide. A goody-two-shoes hero doesn't bother me as much as a wish-washy one. So decide now--Andrews--are you going to be a hero," she grinned, "or an anti hero?"  
He smiled back as he spun her around to push her back against the locker, pulling her arms around his waist as he asked, "I can be an anti-hero."  
Her lips touched his as she said, "They're the best kind."  
His eyes closed as she reached up to run her fingers through his hair. "Tell me more."  
"As an anti-hero you can choose to help someone or if it doesn't benefit you, don't. All you care about is what is best for you or you can be the type that will go to extremes to ensure justice is maintained."  
"Excuse me, Petra, August, you need to stop that," said a voice behind them. Both looked to see the school's principal staring at them. "Canoodling isn't allowed in the halls."  
August adopted his usual cocky smile as he turned away from the man, "We're not canoodling, we're practicing CPR." Then he kissed Petra full on the mouth as the older man sputtered in response.  
As the man opened his mouth to protest again Petra used her watch to shoot a stun dart at the man, making him freeze in place as the two continued to kiss.  
"I think I'm going to like this anti-hero thing."  
"Me too."


End file.
